A Day at the Fair
by BWinner
Summary: Set pre-FMA series. Roy is studying alchemy under Berthold Hawkeye, but on this afternoon try as he may he can't stay focused. Roy decides that the fair in town is the perfect place to let off a little steam... With a little convincing he manages to get Riza to join in on the fun too!


Written by: BWinner

BWinner's Note: This little idea came to me a few months ago. I got thinking about wanting to explore Roy and Riza's relationship when he was studying alchemy under her father. I don't know if he actually lived there or not, but for the sake of this story I'm going to pretend that he did. Basically this is just an excuse to write them in a date(but not really a date) scenario.

Warnings: maybe a tad OOC? Other than that, this is pretty clean

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. I do not profit from this work of fiction.

A Day at the Fair

The lamp on the desk was struggling to stay lit, it flickered dangerously every few minutes, mirroring the ability of the occupant in the room to keep his eyes open. The room, much like the house itself, was dark and dreary; it was very hard to stay motivated in such an environment on the best of days. However, young Roy Mustang managed to do just that on many occasions, his burning desire to learn outweighing the sluggish feelings that took over his body. Yet today something was different, and he just couldn't muster the will to turn another page in the alchemy book he had been studying from.

Roy had been a guest in this large, foreboding home for almost six months. He had left his only family in the heart of Central to come to the country side and study under a very renowned alchemist known as Berthold Hawkeye; a man who was said to hold the key to some of the most powerful alchemy there was. However, exactly what that meant Roy didn't know; he just knew he wanted power, the ability to better himself, and eventually the ability to better his country. Currently, however, that was all in the back of his mind.

Roy felt stifled right now and had the need to get out and shake the weariness from his bones. Pushing the chair back he got up with a stretch and proceeded to find his coat. On a previous trip to the grocery store he had learned that the fair grounds set up not too far from the Hawkeye residence was finally open for the season; it seemed like a good enough place as any to blow off a little steam. As he made his way downstairs he noticed subtle movements in the kitchen, upon investigating he found the alchemist's daughter, Riza, cleaning off some of the countertops. An idea struck him.

Riza was a quiet young girl who kept to herself most of the time. She frequently helped her father out in his study, but for what Roy didn't know; and when she wasn't helping her father she was mostly in her own room, Roy rarely crossed paths with her. He had wondered sometimes just how often she got out of the house; figuring it probably wasn't very often at all he decided that she should be included on his little excursion as well.

"Good afternoon, Riza," he greeted as smoothly as possible. She did startle easy.

"Ah, Mister Mustang, hello," she returned with a slight jump.

Roy laughed in slight embarrassment. "C'mon Riza, I'm only seventeen, you make me sound so old. You can call me Roy," he insisted.

"Sorry," she murmured, wringing the cloth out and hanging it on the faucet. "Was there something you needed?"

"Actually, there is as a matter of fact. I was just on my way to the fair in town which has opened for the season, and I wanted to know if you would like to join me." He leaned against the door frame with crossed arms and what he hoped was an alluring smile on his face.

The girl looked down and averted her gaze. There was the slightest tinge of an embarrassed blush that stained her cheeks. "I'm not sure if I should. There's a lot around the house I should still do."

Roy cautiously stepped into the kitchen. "Nonsense! Come on it's alright to have a little fun once in a while, and your chores won't be going anywhere. We can leave a note for your father, he shouldn't mind."

While she stood there looking apprehensive Roy grabbed a note pad sitting at the edge of the counter and scribbled down a quick message. Once that was done he leaned against said counter, and subtly invaded more of her space. That smile on his face was still ever present.

"I really would appreciate the company," he confessed after a moment.

Riza bit her bottom lip nervously, and several uncertain emotions passed across her face, truly the picture of a conflicted individual. Finally, she gave a timid nod and followed Roy as he led her out of the kitchen. He collected her coat and helped her into it swiftly before the two set off.

The walk to the fairgrounds was almost uncomfortably quiet and Riza walked a good pace behind Roy. Every once in a while, he would glance behind him to make sure she hadn't run back home, and just to check on her over all demeanor. Her gaze remained solidly at her feet most of the time, and it almost made Roy guilty for taking her out. However, he knew it would be worth it in the end, the girl needed to have a bit of fun and loosen up.

Within a few more minutes the sounds of carnival music and squeals of laughter and excitement from adults and children alike came into rage. The lights and bright colours appeared soon after when he and Riza crested the top of a hill and peered at the field below. Once again Roy looked behind him to check on the state of his companion and he was relieved to see that there was a subtle smile beginning to tug at the corners of her lips.

"This one looks pretty good!" he exclaimed.

There was a fairly decent assortment of rides and midway games, even performers and food. From the looks of things, the event was going full tilt too, with almost all rides full and not an attraction without an audience member. Roy brightened seeing it, this was perfect.

With an eager wave of his arm he beckoned the timid blonde to follow him and broke off in a run down the hill. Riza hesitated for a moment before chasing off after him; upon reaching the bottom she doubled over with her hands on her knees and worked to catch her breath. It took her a moment to regain her composure, but Roy was happy to wait before going to see the sights.

It was hard to decide what to do first, already Roy was sure he had overwhelmed Riza a little with his exuberance. One thing Roy did know was that they were going to need tickets, so taking the initiative he grabbed his wallet and paid for approximately twenty then beckoned Riza to follow him once again.

"Did you manage to eat before we left?" he asked.

Riza simply shook her head, and Roy cracked a bit of a relieved smile.

"I suppose that makes our decision for us," he affirmed. "I think a good old-fashioned hotdog should do the trick," and he led the way in search of a food vendor with such an item.

It didn't take long for the two of them to locate a food stand selling hotdogs and Roy ordered two with two sodas. Riza stood back quietly and took the offered treat almost bashfully; she ate in silence as well with her companion stealing a glace at her every once in a while, trying to figure out if she was even enjoying herself a little bit. Unfortunately, she gave him no indication one way or the other, that is until she finally finished eating.

"Thank you, Mister Mustang. It was really good," Riza finally said with a ghost of a smile.

Roy beamed back at her and nodded. "Well, since we should wait for our stomachs to settle before attempting any rides, were there any midway games you wanted to try, or did you want to see one of the acts going on? I think I saw a magician performing a little way back."

"I've never been to a carnival before, so I'm not really sure what it has to offer, and I've never played any midway games… maybe the magician is the best bet?"

"Hey, alright, you're getting into things a little!" With that happy exclamation he grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the show.

Over all the magic show was good, with the magician performing card tricks, acts of levitation, and even a disappearing stunt for his finale… However, Roy found that his attention was more drawn to his mentor's daughter. He enjoyed watching the look of wonder and awe across her face with each act, and the fact that he caught hints of a genuine smile once in a while.

As the show had taken the better part of an hour, Roy figured their stomachs would be settled enough to go on a few of the more easy-going rides and beckoned Riza to follow him to the carousel. That event was followed by a wandering through the mirror maze, and just past that the fun house. Riza in the meantime looked like she was loosening up more and more in this environment. She wasn't sporting a dazzling smile the entire time, but at least she wasn't constantly watching her feet drag along the pavement.

In their wanderings through the pathways between rides and game stalls, a small stuffed black and white dog caught Roy's attention out of the corner of his eye. It was finally a decent looking prize amidst all the little rubber toys and bobbles; maybe he could win his companion a souvenir. When he looked at the corresponding game he smirked. It was a shooting game and you had to knock down little ducks going past on a conveyer belt with a pellet gun. It couldn't be that hard, and this would actually wind up being good practice for his plans down the road. Unbeknownst to Riza's father, but Roy intended to enter the military academy when his apprenticeship was finished.

"Hold up, Riza," Roy beckoned. "How many tickets per play?" he asked the man standing behind the counter.

"Two," the midway game operator replied and began loading up one of the pellet guns.

Roy ripped two off the spool in his coat pocket and handed them to the man before positioning himself. When the gun was handed to him he carefully leaned on the countertop and steadied the butt of the gun against his shoulder. In the little viewfinder he took aim and fired, only for the small pellet to bounce off the wooden duck's tail and fall to the floor. Shaking that miss off as a practice shot he waited and fired again, only to have the same thing happen. Roy cursed softly under his breath, he was not looking good right now. The young man eventually managed to hit three out of the six ducks and was rewarded with a small heart shaped pencil topper; something that only served to deepen his frown.

"May I try?" Riza's shy voice cut through the carnival music.

Roy looked over moderately stunned but, coming to his senses he nodded easily and handed two more tickets to the game operator. The young blonde watched the ducks be repositioned and followed them as they went across the painted background, studying them. The gun was finally handed to her and she took up a position similar to the one Roy had sported. It took her a moment but she fired the gun and was met with instant success, the first duck fell. Five more ducks followed suit with her shots and Roy stood there staring at her awestruck. This small mouse of a girl had managed that, so easily? Where had she learned the skill of shooting?

The game operator gave a low whistle of appreciation and fixed her with a satisfied nod. Reaching up he untied the stuffed animal from where it hung off his sign and passed it to Riza. "There you go little lady, that was some impressive shooting!"

Riza timidly took the toy and offered a shy smile. "Thank you," she replied.

"That really was incredible, Riza!" Roy finally exclaimed coming out of his stunned stupor. "Who taught you how to shoot?" he asked as they began walking down the midway once again.

"No one," she replied simply. "I just watched what you did and did my best to mimic it."

"Well you're very good at it, y—" Roy cut off what he was going to say next. He was about to mention that she could have a decent career in the military but thought better of it. That was a decision he had made for himself, and it wouldn't be right to put such an idea in someone else's head. Especially not such a sweet girl as Riza Hawkeye.

The girl in question didn't seem to notice his faltering and the two made their way to the Ferris wheel. Roy passed on a few more tickets to the ride operator and they took their seats in the bench. The ride started with a bit of a jolt and made a few rotations before it began to stop each set of riders at the top to admire the view. Roy studied his companion's face once more, enjoying her reaction to her surroundings.

"I want to thank you for today, Mister Mustang," she said softly as she looked across the fairgrounds. "I can't remember the last time I ever had such an enjoyable time."

"I was happy to do it, Riza. It's important to get out and let loose every once in a while," Roy replied with a gentle smile.

He was gifted to one more soft smile and knew that coaxing her to join him had been worth it. Roy didn't know how often he would get a chance to have moments of relaxation with the plans he was making for his life. With that knowledge tucked in the back of his mind he felt that being able to share such a time with a kind young girl like Riza had been all the more worth while.

~End


End file.
